There is a wide variety of different types of documentation that contain information of a very important nature that, by itself, assigns legal title to, or possession of, such a document, or of an article to which that document relates. Examples of such documents are, but not limited to, passports, identity (I.D.) cards, land titles, share titles, etc. Ownership of such items is generally declared by a typed, printed, photographic, or handwritten inclusion on that item, detailing for example the owners name, address, signature, and so on.
Using commonly available technology it is possible to alter such typed, printed, photographed or handwritten details in such a way that the document can then show that ownership of that document, or an article to which that document relates, has been transferred to a party not legally entitled to that document or article.
The major concern here is that, although the document itself is a legal instrument in that it has not been forged, duplicated or simulated, and therefore this document will pass an appropriate security check, the details contained thereon have been altered and therefore give a false assignment of that legal document.
To impede the successful tampering or alteration of such details it is a known practice to apply a security laminate over the top of such details. Such laminates invariably contain security break indicators that will clearly reveal as to whether that laminate itself is genuine, whether that laminate has been lifted and replaced, whether that laminate's surface has been penetrated, and whether that laminate surface has been overprinted or overlabelled.
It is a further practice to add areas of printing or patterns which only respond to ultra-violet or infra-red excitation.
To examine a document thus protected with such a laminate or ultra-violet or infra-red markings, a special viewer is employed whereby an examiner or security official can observe the document by means of placing such document in that special viewer and applying differing light sources to reveal both the protected details and the integrity of the protective security laminate. The examination is carried out by an examiner or security official by physically signing the document in question and by making a valued judgment as to its contents and integrity.
There is a growing need to automate this process.